October 25, 2013

OK to announce election result before vote?

AZERBAIJAN ELECTION

That this House is appalled at the evidence of many abuses in the recent general election in Azerbaijan, including an official announcement of the result before voting began; applauds the thorough scrutiny by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe that reported manipulation of voter lists, results and protocols, including cases of votes being reassigned to a different candidate, with 58 per cent of observed polling stations assessed as bad or very bad, with clear indications of ballot box stuffing in 37 polling stations and every conceivable violation of voter identification; notes that the US State Department found that the election fell short of international standards; is astonished that the Council of Europe (COE) monitoring group reported no irregularities; and believes that its incredible conclusion further dents the COE's reputation as a champion of human rights.